WordPress or a custom site? How I decide with clients
People often ask me: "Is WordPress any good?" My answer always disappoints a little, because it's neither yes nor no. WordPress is a tool. Like any tool, it's great for some things and limited for others. The real work is figuring out where you fall.
| Criteria | WordPress + WooCommerce | Custom (Next.js) |
|---|---|---|
| Starting budget | More affordable | Higher |
| Timeline | Fast (1 to 4 weeks) | Longer, depends on scope |
| Performance / speed | Okay, depends on plugins | Excellent, optimised |
| Self-management | High, simple back office | Depends on the CMS added |
| Security / maintenance | Regular plugin updates | Smaller attack surface |
| Custom features | Limited to plugins | Unlimited |
| Best for | Standard stores and sites | SaaS, bookings, high traffic |
When I recommend WordPress
For a standard store, a controlled budget and the wish to manage your own content, WordPress with WooCommerce does the job very well. It's exactly what I used for cosmetics stores like ViVa Beauty and Mamlaka: a rich catalogue, payments, and a back office the client can run themselves without touching code.
When I go custom
The moment a project needs speed, a unique experience or particular logic, I build from scratch with Next.js. The VOUITUR booking platform and the nutrition SaaS I built would never have held up on a simple WordPress theme — they needed real-time calculation, accounts, dashboards. Custom costs more, but it has no ceiling.
Performance and SEO: the real difference
This is where the gap shows. A WordPress site loaded with ten plugins becomes slow, and speed is now a Google ranking factor. A well-built Next.js site loads in a fraction of a second, which helps both SEO and conversion rate. For a presentation site the difference is minor; for a high-traffic store, it translates into sales.
Budget, maintenance and ownership
WordPress starts cheaper but needs regular plugin and theme updates — skip them and security holes appear. Custom costs more up front and gives you a smaller attack surface and less forced maintenance. Either way, insist on owning your site, domain name and hosting — never depend on a provider for access to them.
- Choose WordPress if: tight budget, content managed in-house, standard needs.
- Choose custom if: you want performance, a unique design, specific features, room to grow.
The right choice isn't the trendiest one — it's the one that fits your project and your budget today.
If you're unsure, don't decide alone. Tell me about your business and where you want to go, and I'll honestly say which path makes sense — even if the answer is "start simple." The first conversation is free.
Tell me what you're building and I'll tell you how to ship it.
Start a conversation